[Today’s Japanese Food : “Monjayaki” ]

“Monjayaki” is a type of Japanese pan-fried food. It is similar to okonomiyaki, but that uses different liquid ingredients. It is popular in the Kanto region.
“Monjayaki” is often called simply “monja”.

The ingredients of “monjayaki” are cabbage, bonito “dashi” powder, flour, deep fried flour coating crumbs, Worcester sauce and so on. The cabbage finely chopped and mixed into the batter before frying.
Sometimes, we mix it with the cheese, the curry powder, “mochi”, “mentaiko” (Pollock roe) or so on.

“Monjayaki” batter is similar to okonomiyaki. However, more dashi or water is added to the “monjayaki” batter mixture. So it is more liquid than okonomiyaki.

At first we bake the ingredients on the grill before we make the “dote” by the ingredients. We pour the soup into the “dote”, and mix and grill.
We eat directly from the grill using a small spatula.

There are many restaurants of “monjayaki” in Tsukishima, Tokyo. In Tsukishima, it is said “monjayaki” have been originated. Most of these restaurants also serve the okonomiyaki.